As many of you know, I am an outdoor guide and river rafting guide. During the winter, I guide snowshoe tours in Mt. Rainier National Park. During the summer, I lead multi-day rafting trips on the Rogue river in Oregon. Whenever and whereever I guide, I have a Camelbak reservoir on my back.
My needs when I’m guiding a trip in the summer are different than when I’m guiding in the winter. I need a bigger backpack in the winter, and the Camelbak Vista (retail $195) is just the right size. When I lead snowshoe tours, I bring extra food, first aid kit, headlamp, sleeping bag, thermos, extra layers, compass, shovel and cell phone. That’s a lot more to carry compared to my summer guiding needs.
The Vista FT, with a carrying capacity of 1830 cubic inches, can easily fit what I need for a day tour. I have plenty of water for an all day outing when I fill 3 liter water bladder. The S-curved shoulder harness doesn’t rub on my shoulders, it fits tightly and comfortably, while the padded waistbelt provides support to my upper body. There are small pockets on the waistbelt that I like to keep gum and Emergen-C packets in for quick access.
The back harness itself is padded and breathable. Though my back still gets sweaty after carrying around a full load for the day, it isn’t AS sweaty or clammy as with other backpacks. Moreover, the pack has a fully adjustable sternum strap so you can fit exactly to your body.
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The Camelbak Vista can be bought on the Camelbak website here.
Photo courtesy of Camelbak.
The product here was given to me by Camelbak for review, as always the opinions shared are my own.